Automatic clutch-operating mechanism



Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

@Herisau IVIcKlNLEY MILLER.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCH OPERATING NIECHANISM.

APPLICATION rlLED MAY 9, i918. RENEWED MAR.13.1919.

1,3 17,029, PutentedSept. 225, 191%).

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

MOKINLEY MILLER, or renom, Iowa.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCH-OPERATING MECHANISM. i'

Specification of Letters Patent; f Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

Application led May 9, 1918, Serial No. 238,515. Renewed Marek 13, 1919'. Serial No. 282,497.

To all whom/ may concern: 'f f Be it4 known that I, MCKINLEY MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Panora, in the county of Guthrie and tate 5 of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Clutch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following.

is a specification.

Thls Invention relates to Improvements 1n automobile'control devices and it is the principal object of the `invention to provide an automatic clutch operating mechamsm whereby said clutch will be disen aged when the variable speed transmission 1s operated to establish a desired speedratio, thus, ob-

0 to provide a novel form of fluid actuated mechanism having connection with i the clutch of a motor driven vehicle whereby to move the same to disengaged position previous to the shifting of -thel transmission 5 gears and then tv permit the return of the l same to engaged position subsequently to the shifting of said gears.

Other objects will be infpart obvious and in art pointed'out hereinafter.

D n order that the invention and the manner of its application may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, I have in the accompanying illustrative drawings and.

in the detailed following description based 5 thereon,set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal seci tion through the improved operating mech- 3 anism, A Fig. 2 is a vertical section therethrough taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a similar sectioni'taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

I Having more particular' reference to the drawings, in connection with which like reference characters will designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 represents the casing of the automatic operating mechanism, the same bein composed of complemental sections', the a ]acent portions o which are flanged as at 2 and apervtured to receive suitable fastening bolts 3 therethrough. Bearings 4 are formed in the opposite ends of the transmission casing.

brackets 8 are longitudinally alined cylin' ders 9 and 10 having pistons 11 and 12 working therein, which pistons have their respective rods interconnected by means of a rack element 13 the lower portion of which carries a pair of spaced cams 14, the purpose vof which will be hereinafter more fully described. In thisconnection, it is to be noted thaty the upper portion of the cylinders 9 and 10 are'enlarged as at l5 to permit the passage of the gear shift lever shaft 16 therethrough, the gear shift lever of course being so arranged with respect to the transmission of the vehicle as to permit shiftin of the same in order that a predetermined driving relation can be established; the gear shift lever being shown and indicated by the numeral 17 forV the purpose-of convenience. A segmental gear 18 is ixedly mounted on the shaft 16 and arranged in the enlarged portion 15; the teeth thereof engagingthe teeth of the rack element 13 whereby reciprocal motion will be imparted thereto upon the rocking of the shaft 16. Fluid circulating pipes 19, 19', 20 and 20 communicate with the `several cylinders 9 and 10 and discharge into a conduit 21 connected thereto, check valves 22 being arranged in the conduit to control the passage of fluid to and from.

the cylinders therethrough. A return port 23 is arranged adjacent the`ends of the conduits 2O and 20 and is formed with a valve seat in order that a valve element 24 can be engaged thereon, said valvecarrying a stem 25 composed of pivotally connected sections, one of whichcarres an angularly disposed arm having pivotalconnection with a portionof one of the cylinders as at 26 and being arrangedin the path of travel of the spaced cams 14 carried by the rack ele' ment 13.

loo

Supported in the lower portion ofthe COIlduit 21, While a piston 28 is arranged therein and has the outer end of its rod pivotally engaged with a connecting link 29 which in turn is connected to the lower end of an angle'arm 30, the upper end of said angle arm engaging the slidable sleeve of the clutch. 6.

In operation, should the gear shift lever be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow, the piston 11 in the cylinder 8 is formed toward the head thereof, thus causing the Huid arranged therein which is in form of heavy oil or the like to be discharged therefrom into the conduit 20 from whence the same will lbe passed by way of the conduit 21 into the cylinder 27, engaging the piston 28 and moving `the same outwardly. Such movement of the piston '28 will of course cause the slidable sleeve of the clutch element to be moved ina direction from said clutch and as a consequence, cause disengagement of the elements thereof. When the rack element 13 has been moved for a predetermined distance', one of 'the cams 14 will engage the stem 25 of the .valve 24 and move the same downwardly from its seat in the port 23, thus allowing the oil in the cylinder 27 `to be exhausted therefrom and returned by way of said port and the conduit 19 to the cylinder 9 as well as the space between the same and the cylinder 10; such action permitting the return of the :pis-

ton 28 to its normal position with respect to "the cylinder 27 and as a'consequence allowing the clutch elements to be rengaged. Obviously, should the gear shift lever be moved in a reverse direction, the passage of the oil through the conduits 19 and 20 would be accomplished in the same manner, thus operating the angle arm 30 to cause disengagement and then rengagement of the clutch elements. i i 4 Manifestly, the construction shown is ca pable of `considerable modification and such modification as is within the scope of. my claimsz Iconsider within the spirit of my inventlon.

I claim: A l. In combination with a gear shift lever and clutch of a motor driven vehicle, a casing, a cylinder arranged therein, a piston in the cylinder having connection with the gear shift lever, fluid circulating means connected to said cylinder, valves arranged in the circulating means, uid actuated mechanism operable by the fluid in said circulating,

means, one of said valves being operable upon predetermined movement of said piston to allow the return of the iuid to said cylinder subsequently to the discharge of the and clutch of a motor driven vehicle, a cas'-A ing, alined cylinders arranged therein, plstons `working in the cylinders havin connection with thegear shift-lever, uid circulating means communicating with Sald cylinders, a return port communicating with portions of the circulating means and the ad-` jacent portions of the cylinders, valves arranged .in the .circulating means, another valve engageable over the return portiuid actuated mechanism connected to the clutch and operable by the Huid, in the circulating means, and trips carried by saidpiston engageable with the valve over the returnA port for opening the same, at times.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature hereto.

' Y MCKINLEY MILLER. 

